One central Minnesota health care system has nearly an equal number of vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations.
CentraCare and its subsidiary Carris Health operate eight hospitals and more than 30 clinics across the state. As of Monday, the company’s hospital beds were filled with 40 vaccinated patients and 43 unvaccinated.
The number of vaccinated hospitalizations has been steadily climbing since the beginning of the month, when 21 vaccinated and 94 unvaccinated Minnesotans were hospitalized in a CentraCare facility.
On Jan. 10, 92 unvaccinated and 27 vaccinated patients were hospitalized. Seven days later, 36 vaccinated and 74 unvaccinated people were in a CentraCare hospital.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 70% of Minnesotans over the age of five have completed their vaccine series, so the minority (the unvaccinated) account for the majority of CentraCare’s hospitalizations.
But state and national leaders continue to pin the blame for overfilled hospitals exclusively on the unvaccinated.
President Joe Biden said during a meeting last month that it’s “highly” and “very” unlikely for the vaccinated to become “seriously ill,” especially if they’re boosted.
“You know, be concerned about Omicron, but don’t be alarmed. But if you’re unvaccinated, you have some reason to be alarmed. Many of you will — you know, you’ll experience severe illness, in many cases, if you get COVID-19 if you’re not vaccinated. Some will die — needlessly die,” the president said.
“The unvaccinated are taking up hospital beds and crowding emergency rooms and intensive care units,” he added.
Minnesota has recorded 284,526 cumulative breakthrough cases, which occur when a fully-vaccinated person tests positive for the virus. Of those, 7,667 have been hospitalized and 1,369 have died. In mid-December, there were 116,237 cumulative breakthrough cases, 4,701 hospitalizations, and 839 deaths.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
